Families of AI171 crash victims seek release of black box data, write to PM

Ten months after the tragic Air India plane crash that killed 260 persons, bereaved families of the victims have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the release of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and black box data.

Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London, crashed into a medical college hostel complex shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here on June 12, 2025.

The aircraft burst into flames, killing 241 out of 242 people onboard and 19 individuals on the ground.

Around 30 bereaved families from across Gujarat met in Ahmedabad on Saturday (April 4, 2026), and wrote a letter to the PM, requesting the release of the CVR and ‘black box’ (Flight Data Recorder) data to uncover the truth behind the calamity.

“We want to know the truth about what caused the crash and whether there was any technical problem,” they said.

The letter, copies of which were sent to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, stated that if the black box data cannot be made public, it should at least be shared with the victims’ families, privately.

“My home feels empty now,” said Nilesh Purohit, who lost his 24-year-old son in the crash. “No amount of compensation can fill this void. We don’t want money, we just want to know what happened,” he said.

For many, the pain is compounded by a perceived lack of institutional support.

Kinjal Patel from Vasad, who lost her mother, described the difficulty of using the website created by Air India recently to help families recover victims’ belongings.

“There are over 25,000 items listed, but the images are unclear. It’s almost impossible to find anything,” she said.

Others voiced concerns over the lack of accessible communication channels. Romin Vora from Kheda, who lost his mother, brother, and daughter, spoke about the struggles faced by families unfamiliar with digital tools.

“There is only one email ID, and responses take up to 15 days. Many people in villages don’t even know how to use email,” he said.

He also expressed discomfort over the public display of personal belongings on the portal, calling it insensitive.

The airline’s response was awaited.

The AAIB had submitted its preliminary probe report on the aircrash in July last year, and is likely to submit the final report in June, around the first anniversary of the tragedy.